Ready
by AmeliaPonders
Summary: "You're sure about this?" Rose asks, and her voice is that of someone who is trying and failing not to sound too excited. The Doctor nods at her enthusiastically. "She's ready."


**Ready**

Today is finally the day. We've waited so long for this moment and I am so excited that I want to crawl out of my skin. But seeing as I am half-human, half-Time Lord and not Vyndeplexian, I don't actually have the ability to crawl out of my skin. So I do the next best thing.

I wake up Rose.

I walk into our bedroom and see her there, on the far side of the bed, a mess of honey hair splayed on the pillow and her arm thrown back like she hasn't a care in this world. It's so peaceful, so _beautiful_, that I almost don't want to wake her. Almost.

I slide onto the bed and snuggle against her for a moment. I kiss the side of her face, then her neck, and…

No. Focus, Doctor. This is important. No time for distractions.

"Rose," I murmur as I gently shake her shoulder. She groans, as usual. My interrupting her sleep has always been a mild source of contention between us, even back when I was a full Time Lord. Maybe that's a little bit of the reason why I still do it – it's a thing we've always had, and always will. I like those things. I smile as the brief furrow in her brow fades and she takes another deep, unconscious breath. Okay, fine. Maybe I should let her rest a bit more. I'll just watch her sleep for a while…How is it that, even asleep, Rose Tyler manages to enchant me? You'd think it would fade after a while – but in the fourteen years since I first held her hand and told her to run, it never has. I like that, too. I stroke her arm as I watch the rise and fall of her chest and I let out my own contented sigh. I could stay like this forever.

_Three minutes and forty-six seconds later…_

Okay, that's long enough. I've got to wake her up and tell her. This is going to change our lives forever, and sleep is not a reason to defer life-changing, amazing news.

"Rose. Rose, wake up." The groan again. "Rose, come on, love, it's important. I need you to wake up now." This makes her stir, and she turns to me, still sleepy but somewhat on alert.

"What is it, Doctor? What's the matter?"

I wish she didn't always jump to the conclusion that something was wrong, but with all the things she's seen at Torchwood, it's probably something she'll never shake. My quick smile reassures her, though, and she softens.

"It's today! Get up! Get dressed! It's finally time!" I'm practically jumping on the bed, which doesn't amuse Rose, but I'm just so excited and really, she must get up because I can't stand delaying this one more minute. Rose blinks a few times, shaking off the last cobwebs of unconsciousness, and looks me in the eye. "You're sure about this?" she asks, and her voice is that of someone who is trying and failing not to sound too excited. I nod at her enthusiastically.

"Because if she's not ready it could be really dangerous, and -"

"She's ready."

"But how do you -"

I cut her off again and squeeze her hand. "We both agreed we need this and that today would be the perfect day to do it if she's ready. Well, she's ready. I _know_ she's ready." And I really do. It's part of the special bond I have with her, one that Rose won't ever totally understand. Thankfully, she isn't jealous. Those two have their own kind of completely mystifying bond, anyway. And come to think of it, they're sort of smug about the fact that I don't get it, but I'll let that go for now, because…"It's time to go on an adventure!" I grin so wide that I'm sure I look like a daft idiot (as Rose would say). She returns my grin and once again, she's radiant.

A few hours later, breakfast has been eaten and, I'm thrilled to report, suitcases have been packed. We've even had a little celebration since it's such a special day. Rose putters around the house, gathering up the last few things we want to take on our adventure, and I step into the back garden.

There's the TARDIS. All grown up. Gorgeous.

I walk around her, running my fingers over the wood of her Police Box façade (and oh, wasn't it a proud day when I saw her take that form, just like the TARDIS from which she was grown). "Look at you," I whisper affectionately. "You know what I think? I think you're going make this the best adventure of our lives. I think you're going be absolutely fantastic."

"Just like always." Rose walks over to me from the back door of the house. She pats the TARDIS affectionately before leaning forward into my chest so that I can wrap her in my arms. "I'm nervous," she admits. "I mean, I'm excited, too, incredibly so, but I'm just a bit nervous. Is that weird?"

"Not at all. We've never done this before, with her. It's perfectly natural to feel that way. But before you ask again, she really is ready. I promise. Or we wouldn't be doing this."

"I know. I just can't believe we've finally gotten to this day. I mean, we knew it would come, but a decade seemed like so much time. And here we are," Rose says with a wistful look.

"You're the one who decided we wouldn't do this until now, even if she was ready earlier."

"I know, and I don't regret it. We needed to put down some roots, figure out life here. It was important for us to get that _domestic_ time in," she says with a wink. I smile and nod. "It does make me feel a bit old, though," Rose admits with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, rubbish. You're not old. Just wise. And beautiful as ever," I say before gently touching my lips to hers.

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Suckup," she laughs, but then squeezes me a bit and I know she loves when I say things like that to her. I should say them more, I think. After a moment she lets go, takes a deep breath, and looks me in the eye. "All right. Let's do this."

"Okay, open your eyes!" I practically shout.

She looks around, confused. This isn't what she was expecting. "But…it's just Mummy standing next to the TARDIS. Oh, no! You guys aren't going on a trip _today_ are you? It's my _birthday_!"

"Wellll, we are going on a trip today, yes. But we thought that this time, you could come with us. If you want."

"Happy birthday, Hannah," Rose says with a grin.

Our daughter looks at her, eyes wide. "Really? You mean it? I can go on the TARDIS with you?!"

"We said you could come along when you were ten," Rose replies. "You're ten now, aren't you? Did we get your birthday wrong?"

"No, you didn't! I'm ten years old!" Hannah squeals. She claps and jumps with glee, her sandy braids swishing against her freckled face, then runs to her mother and hugs her. Rose hugs Hannah tight, glancing at me with a wide smile and glassy eyes as happy tears threaten to spill. I walk over and hug them both, nearly overwhelmed myself.

Since it was ready five years ago, Rose and I have only used the TARDIS for Torchwood business and the rare grownups-only holiday. I'd wanted to travel with Hannah from the start, but Rose insisted that we wait. She wanted our daughter to have a "normal" early childhood with school, mates, trips to Gran's, and most of all, family time with Mum and Dad in a proper house. A home base. I suspect it was important not just for Hannah, but for Rose, too, and even for me. I wouldn't take back a minute of the time we've spent more or less "grounded" on Pete's World. Rose was right, as always. Not that I will admit the "always" part. That being said, it was hard to say no all those times Hannah had begged us to take her traveling on the TARDIS. Finally, we won't have to deny her adventures anymore.

"So, Hannah Tyler-Smith," I say, opening the TARDIS door. "Where to?"

Hannah looks up at me and I can see the whole universe right there in her eyes. In that moment, I realize we've been on an adventure this entire time. I am almost consumed with love for this little girl – so bright, so curious, so strong. So her mother.

She leans towards my ear and whispers: "Everywhere."

My daughter grabs my hand and pulls me into the TARDIS. Rose follows right behind.

Our adventure continues.


End file.
